


Work of Art

by anesake



Category: Magical Vacation (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, If You Squint - Freeform, Short & Sweet, hints of romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-06
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-06-22 22:39:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15592356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anesake/pseuds/anesake
Summary: Heroine visits Cider's studio, and he draws her portrait.





	Work of Art

**Author's Note:**

> Made in response to a request.

Cider huffed, paintbrush and palette in hand. His messy blond hair was pushed back with a headband, and he had on a black apron littered with blotches of paint. He was staring at a blank canvas; racking his brain, for the thousandth time, for an idea, an inspiration, and coming up with… nothing.

He gave up with a sigh, putting aside his tools. Yet another unproductive day. He vaguely wondered if his mother had days like this as well.

His mother… He hadn’t thought about her in quite a while. He couldn’t help but wonder if this predicament was because of that time when…

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. “Come in,” he called out, hastily taking off his apron. He turned to greet his visitor…

…and couldn’t help but express his surprise at the sight of the girl standing in front of him — it wasn’t everyday that he got a visit from _her_ …

“What brings you here, Heroine?” He regarded her with a pleasant smile.

She smiled back. “Just dropping in to say hello. And, well, it would be a shame to not view the paintings of a renowned artist. You don’t mind, do you?”

He flashed a proud smile. “Not at all.”

With that, she toured his studio, gazing at each piece with awe. “They’re all so beautiful… Gosh, you’re so talented!”

He grinned. “Thanks. But…” He started, as the smile slowly slipped from his face, “…I’m not so sure about my being talented these days.”

“What?! How could you say that?”

“It’s just…” He sighed. “I haven’t had any inspiration these days. It’s not that I don’t _want_ to draw; it’s that I don’t _know_ what to draw.”

Heroine tapped her chin, and hummed. A moment later, a playful smile spread on her lips. “Well, you could always draw me…” she sing-songed.

He thought it over for a while.

Heroine laughed. “Just kid—“

“That’s actually not a bad idea,” he murmured thoughtfully. He had drawn portraits before, of course, but he generally stuck to drawing scenes and landscapes. Even so, he decided that a change of pace would do him good.

He placed a stool near the canvas, and put his apron back on. Gathering his tools, he sat down. “Have a seat,” he urged.

Heroine, meanwhile, was still staring at him, dumbfounded. It was just a joke, she hadn’t actually thought that he would seriously take her up on it. Besides…

“I’ve never modeled before!” She blurted out, then proceeded to mentally smack herself. _Ugh, that sounded lame._

“That’s fine. There’s a first time for everything.” He smiled. “Come on now, sit down. I just need you to be still.”

 

* * *

 

After what seemed like an eternity, filled with discomfort and fidgeting and “sit still”s, Cider was finally finished.

“Done,” he announced, and Heroine jumped out of her seat. After a good stretch, followed by the sound of her joints popping, she made her way over to his canvas. A gasp escaped her lips at the sight of the painting.

“How is it?” Cider asked.

“It’s… it’s…”

“Gorgeous” didn’t even begin to describe it, with sparkling violet eyes; wavy, golden blonde hair; long, black eyelashes lowered half-mast… “Realistic” wouldn’t do the trick either; it was as if a copy of her existed in the painting, looking right back at her, seeing her. She had the feeling that the portrait would start speaking to her anytime soon.

“Do you like it?” He asked this time, his eyebrows raised.

“ ‘Like’?! I _love_ it! Thank you so much!”

“That’s good,” he said, relaxing his expression. He added, “I should be thanking you, actually. This is the first painting I’ve done in quite a while. And, well…” he smiled at her warmly, “…I’m glad it was thanks to you.”

Heroine stared at him, stunned, before she let out a small laugh. She lowered her eyes, and fiddled with her hair.

“Oh, stop it, you!” She playfully nudged him, grinning when he chuckled.

They remained silent for a short while, before Cider spoke up.

“I’ll let it dry overnight, and you can come back tomorrow to pick it up.”

She perked up. “You’re giving it to me? But you worked so hard on it! Besides, wouldn’t you want it as a proof of, like, finding inspiration and stuff?”

He shook his head. “You were just as much a part of the process as I was. And as I already told you, it’s thanks to you that I got over my art block. Consider it a token of my appreciation.”

Heroine smiled from ear to ear. “Thank you, Cider.”

“My pleasure.”

Heroine glanced around the studio. It was basked in orange light, the only indication of the passing time.

“I should get going now.”

“Alright, I’ll see you out.”

They walked the short distance towards the door, smiling to themselves all the while.

Heroine exited, and turned to Cider one last time. “Today was great. I’ll see you again tomorrow.”

He smiled, and nodded. “It was. See you tomorrow.”

He closed the door once she left.


End file.
